


case file: 1102736B - subtitled: the triple threats mess with one of republic city's finest

by immolationfox



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Brother Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Momboss and Detectiveson, Mother-Son Relationship, Republic City, Republic City Police Force, acab except the rc police, but like. dont bring it up, feat bolin, i didnt know he was going to show up or have lines until five minutes ago so yea, well i mean. technically LIN is a bastard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immolationfox/pseuds/immolationfox
Summary: maybe the force is its own gang, in a way, except with better paychecks, benefits, and you know. less murder. but you don't mess with one of the force. you just don't. not if you want half the city looking for you and the other half ready to fight
Relationships: Bolin & Mako (Avatar), Lin Beifong & Mako
Comments: 10
Kudos: 100
Collections: Mako (Avatar) Appreciation <3





	case file: 1102736B - subtitled: the triple threats mess with one of republic city's finest

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote the first half of this fic like a year ago and i got tired of it sitting in drafts so i finished it. also i want validation

Mako stumbled down the hallway and leaned against the wall next to the door. Actually- slammed his shoulder hard into the wall and groaned when his legs nearly gave out. Head pressed against the wall, he lifted his fist to knock, squeezed his eyes shut so he could focus, and-

A halfhearted, single knock was all he could handle before his legs gave out, but then the door opened inwards and he fell into Lin's arms.

"Fuck, Mako-"

He at least had the presence of mind to tip his head back on her shoulder and look at her upside down.

"Though m' name was 'kid,'" he slurred, still mostly completely supported by Lin. Her mouth was all twisted up and the lighting in the entry made her look paler than normal. 

" _ Stupid _ ," Lin admonished, shuffling him down, leaning him against the wall. He moaned, clutching his abdomen, curling in on himself. Lin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back, and tapping his cheek with her other hand. "Idiot," she said. "What happened to you?" she demanded, tilting his head this way and that with her hand on his cheek.

"Um," Mako said eloquently, and slumped around his side, scrunching his face up, falling silent. 

_ Fuck, fucking- _

Lin poked his cheek gently.

"Mako, you gotta keep your eyes open for me, alright? Okay, kid?"

"There it is," Mako mumbled, squinting at her. 

"Listen, I gotta take a look at you, okay?" Lin said, brushing his hair out of his eyes, combing it back, her fingers snagging in the pomade that formerly kept his hair in place. She reached to pry his arms off, but he made a noise in his throat, frowning, and tucked his arms tighter. Spirits above, she was going to murder whoever did this to him, cop or not.

Gently, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and propped his head up with her hand. She needed Kya, but Kya was halfway across the city at the clinic, if she could just get Mako through the night-

"Mako, come on, lemme look," she said, hands shaking more than she would care to admit. He didn't resist when she tried away, peeling his arms off his sides, Mako hissing for the pain, Lin hissing at the blood coating his hands, soaking his sleeves, covering the rip in his shirt and skin. 

Lin felt the blood drain from her face and a furious calm washed over her. His coat and shirt had been slashed open with the same cut that slashed open his side. If his reaction was this bad, he'd already lost too much blood. His shirt and coat had slowed the bleeding from how tightly he was holding it, but it hasn't stopped

"Mako, I'm going to go get some bandages, alright? I'll be right back."

He didn't even answer, and that worried her more than if he'd complained. She reached over and pressed two fingers to his jugular, frowning at how fast it was. Spirits, she needed to hurry.

Lin wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not that she kept first aid supplies in an easy-to-reach location of the hallway closet. On the one hand, it meant she was injured enough that they needed to be ridiculously easy to get to, but on the other hand, it meant she didn't have to go far if she were taking care of someone else, like now. Yeah, definitely a good thing. She gathered up an armful of bandages, because the first order of business was stopping the bleeding before she could put any kind of salve or balm on it, and hurried back to the foyer where Mako was slumped. She'd need to move him soon, and-  _ shit. _

Lin dumped the bandages to the ground and cradled Mako's head.

"Mako, I need you to stay awake," she said, relieved beyond measure when his eyes flickered open, even though his gaze was distant. "There we go. I'm going to wrap you up and get you moved somewhere more comfortable, alright?"

Mako managed a tiny noise in affirmation. Lin nearly cried, and got to work stripping him of his ruined coat and shirt. Not only did it make it easier to stop the bleeding, but she could catalogue any other injuries he may or may not have. He had a smattering of bruises across his upper abdomen, in varying state of freshness. She only just noticed a bruise blooming purple on his jaw. Spirits. 

Lin wrapped him with shaky hands, fingertips brushing up against his sweaty skin, and by the time she finished, she could already see dots of blood soaking through the layers. She needed to get him moved. 

"Mako," she said softly, touching his chin. "Can you look at me?" He made the effort to lift his head, but when he met her eyes, his were out of focus and distant. "Alright, I'm going to move you, okay?"

He didn't respond, and Lin drew his arm across her shoulders, wrapping her own arm around his chest and hauling him to his feet in as smooth a move as she could manage. Mako groaned, head flopping against her shoulder, and made an attempt to shuffle along beside her, and mostly failed. Lin got him the five feet to the futon - the longest five feet of her life - and helped him down. Now he was shaking, and as he laid his head down, Lin tucked every extra blanket she had around him.

"Mako?" she asked as she checked his pulse. It had slowed. Mako didn't answer, but his breathing had started to steady and his eyes were closed. Asleep. Fuck. 

Lin checked the clock. Kya would be home soon. All Lin had to do was keep Mako alive until then. She paced the length of the room. Sat down. Stood back up. Brushed Mako's messy hair out of his eyes and kissed his forehead.

"Just be stubborn a little longer."

….

Lin didn’t bother with pleasantries when she blew into the precinct early the next morning, only when Mako safely ensconced in a hospital bed under Kya’s care. The sky was appropriately gray, the color of dirty concrete, until the sky and the city blended together into one dirty-gray impressionist painting. Lin despised it. If the City knew something was wrong, it shouldn’t have let Mako get so gravely injured in the first place. The bullpen was quiet. Lin had called from the hospital and told Saikhan, and he had told the others, or was supposed to, and judging from the stillness in the usually busy bullpen, she figured he already had.

Saikhan was waiting in her office. He’d pulled the blinds open, but it hadn’t done anything to make the room brighter. It was the same dirty gray inside as it was outside. She flung her coat angrily onto her chair and faced Saikhan. 

“We had squads out casing the area near your place, trying to find the scene of the assault. We found one, only a few blocks away. Even with his injuries, whoever hurt him had to know he could get to you.”

“It was a warning,” she said flatly. “It was one of the gangs. Where’s your analyst, I want her report.”

Saikhan nodded shortly and left her office to fetch his crime scene analyst, a young officer by the name of Rin. He returned with her in tow only a few moments later. Saikhan left the door open.

Tossing down a manila file with several sheets of paper inside, Rin propped her fists against Lin's desk and ducked her head.

"It was definitely the Tripe Threats," she admitted, and the rest of the precinct seemed to hold its breath, watching Lin almost carefully. “But I can’t tell if it was premeditated or not. They could have just caught him at the wrong time.”

“It could be a threat,” Saikhan said, “or it could be them getting back at someone who skipped out. I don’t know what else it could be, since it’s definitely the Triple Threats.”

Lin tucked her chin against her chest and took a deep breath, shutting her eyes. When she looked up, there was fire in her eyes.

"Most likely, it’s both. Half of you better start casing every Triple Threat joint we know of," she said, with a sweeping gesture to the bullpen. "Everyone else, keep an ear on the ground, be ready to move at any second. Saikhan, you're taking over here."

Without turning, she pointed two fingers at Rin and Aput.

"You two are with me," and flinging her coat over her shoulder and marching out the door without checking to see if they follow. She knew they would. Mako was one of theirs now. 

They followed her out to the cars parked in the garage, and Lin pointed at Aput.

"You're driving. We're picking up Bolin. He's going to want to be here for this."

....

"You seem awfully unconcerned for a man who just got his entire security detail thrashed right in front of you," Bolin said through crossed arms and a glare as he watched Lin stalk right up to Lightning Bolt Zolt's private box at an underground pro-bending ring. 

"They're just a bunch of lightning rods, Bolin," Zolt said, leaning back in his seat. "What are they gonna do."

"Try arrest you for assault with intent to kill and attacking an officer of the Republic City Police Force," Lin snapped.

Zolt laughed.

"You think I'm stupid enough to do that myself? I didn't survive this long in this business by getting my hands dirty every time I need someone out of the way. That just gets you in trouble with that _law._ Why are you threatening me, anyway, this is private property."

"You're squatting, Zolt, I've seen your tax reports," Rin shot back. "How about tax evasion, we can get you on that, too."

Zolt swallowed.

"Even so, you still haven't explained your first two charges."

Lin leaned close, sneering, and grabbed a handful of his suit coat.

"Mako," she spat. "He nearly died. It was Triple Threat work. It was you, personally, your revenge on someone who not only got away from you, but got his life together and started doing good. You better be happy you didn't try and touch Bolin. Mako wouldn't be nearly so merciful with you as I am."

Again, Zolt laughed, but it was nervous, and he'd started sweating.

"You don't have any proof." It sounded weak, afraid. Lin smiled.

 _"Mako told us himself,"_ she whispered.

Mako had not told them himself. He hadn't woken up since passing out the night before at Lin's house. Lin and Bolin sat on either side of his bed, each holding on of his hands.

"I can't believe that worked," Bolin laughed softly. Lin shook her head. 

"Me neither. It was one of Mako's, though, only the last time he tried, the victim had died in the hospital. They couldn't save her, but the murderer confessed right then and there. It was all accidental, of course, but he tried to assault one of the other officers and if the confession hadn't put him on trial, the assault would have."

"I remember that," Bolin replied quietly. "He made the papers. The front page. Everyone was so proud, but Mako, because he couldn't save the girl."

Lin squeezed Mako's hand lightly.

"At least he'll make it."

There was a shift in Mako's breathing. They watched his eyes ease open.


End file.
